


All You Need Is Love

by limjaeseven



Category: GOT7
Genre: Angst, Assistant Park Jinyoung, CEO Im Jaebum | JB, CEO Kang Younghyun, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sad Im Jaebum | JB, Suicide Attempt, conversion therapy, dumb gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:40:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28892280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/limjaeseven/pseuds/limjaeseven
Summary: Jinyoung has liked his boss for years but according to him he’s straight
Relationships: Im Jaebum | JB/Park Jinyoung
Comments: 6
Kudos: 80





	All You Need Is Love

**Author's Note:**

> I've spent at least six months working on this fic, it was my dream project so I hope you like it.

The warm and comforting scent of freshly brewed coffee filled Jinyoung’s senses as he stepped inside his favourite cafe, situated just across the street from Jinyoung’s apartment at half past eight on Monday morning. Being the assistant of the richest man in the country meant Jinyoung barely, if ever, got a full night’s sleep in the middle of sifting through paperwork and making phone calls. Coffee was his lifeline, the only thing that kept him from falling asleep on the job.

The barista, Mark, a 26 year old man of Taiwanese descent greeted Jinyoung with a warm smile. With how often Jinyoung came to the café, there was no need for him to even give Mark his order, one Caramel Macchiato for himself and an Iced Americano for his boss.

After paying for his coffee and thanking Mark, Jinyoung stepped outside the café to see a car pull up in front of him. A short, blond haired man stepped out of the driver’s seat and opened the passenger door for Jinyoung. Once he was settled inside the car, the driver closed the door behind him before getting back in and driving.

“Thank you, Jinyoung,” Lim Jaebeom, South Korea’s richest man and Jinyoung’s boss said when Jinyoung handed him his coffee. The man was only three years older than Jinyoung, at age 28 but had single handedly built an empire spanning four continents and fourteen countries. Offshore Corp. was immensely successful, making Jaebeom the fifth richest man in the world, and the youngest person on the list.

Jinyoung had met Jaebeom when the company was being run out of the basement of an office building in the outskirts of Seoul. The elder was looking for an assistant and Jinyoung had seen an advertisement on his college campus and decided to apply for it. Since Jinyoung was still in college getting his degree in Economics, he joined as an intern under Jaebeom. The two of them were inseparable ever since, becoming more of best friends than coworkers.

“You have lunch with CEO Wang today at the Black Plate followed by a meeting with Kang Corp. at four. Other than that you just have some paperwork to go through, the rest I have managed,” Jaebeom let out a deep sigh as he turned to his assistant. Sometimes Jaebeom wondered how he had scored such a hardworking and dedicated man to work under him.

“You are a life saver, Jinyoungie. What would I ever do without you? Also you have to come with me for lunch. Jiaer will kill me if I don’t bring you along,” The car pulled up in front of the office building. Jinyoung let himself out of the car as the driver opened the door for Jaebeom. The two of them made their way inside the building, heading to the top floor. Jinyoung spent his morning at his desk outside the CEO’s office till they had to leave for lunch.

Jackson Wang, CEO of Team Wang was one of Lim Jaebeom’s oldest friends. The two had grown up together in a small neighbourhood in Ilsan. They had been inseparable till Jackson moved to China with his family when they were in high school. Wang Jiaer came back to Korea three years after he graduated from college to start his own entertainment company. He, along with some help from Jaebeom and Jinyoung, set up Team Wang. Jackson had grown quite close to Jinyoung over the years and often invited Jaebeom over just so that he could hang out with the younger.

“Hyung! Nyoungie! So nice to see you two,” Jackson greeted as the two men sat across from the brunette. Lunch went just as usual, Jackson taking up all of Jinyoung’s attention with his jolly and over the top personality. Jaebeom’s angry chin made an appearance here and there when Jackson made an occasional joke at Jaebeom’s expense.

“Anyways hyung, you have to come to the Kang’s party next Friday, I hate attending those events alone,” Jaebeom sighed because he too hated attending big company events. He really didn’t have much of a choice since he was finalising a deal with them and it would not be good for him to not attend the party to welcome the new CEO of the company. If the deal took any longer to close, he would have to negotiate with the new head of the company.

“Don’t forget to get Jinyoungie along with you,” Jackson added, making Jaebeom chuckle.

“Sometimes I wonder who you like more, your childhood best friend or his assistant,” Jinyoung slapped Jaebeom’s forearm playfully at the comment. Jackson just snickered but didn't answer the question.

“Call Bambam and let him know that we’ll be attending the Kang’s party. We need to make a good impression in front of the new CEO.” Bambam was Jaebeom’s personal stylist, a 23 year old man with an impeccable sense of fashion. Jinyoung had met the man through his cousin Yugyeom, the two men had been dating each other for as long as Jinyoung could remember. Bambam had struggled to find a job as a fashion design major, so he approached Jinyoung for help and the older recommended the younger to put in his resume for an opening as Jaebeom’s stylist, and he ended up getting the job.

***

The week till the party was incredibly busy as Jinyoung rushed to finalise the deal with the Kang’s. In the end, the deal took too long to close, meaning they would have to finalise it with the new CEO. Before Jinyoung knew it, he was sitting with Jaebeom in a fancy salon getting his hair and makeup done before Bambam dressed both of them up for the party. The car ride to the venue was quiet, Jaebeom lost in his own thoughts. The two men were tired after a long week of endless meetings and paperwork.

“Hyung!” Jaebeom and Jinyoung turned around as they stepped out of the car to see Jackson running to catch up with them. The three of them made their way into the hall and proceeded to grab a couple of drinks from the bar before going to mingle with the crowd. Jinyoung spent most of his time glued to Jaebeom’s side as the older talked to colleagues, friends, old and possibly new investors. He exchanged polite smiles and made small talk with a few people he recognised in the crowd until Jaebeom excused himself to go to the restroom, leaving Jinyoung alone.

After searching and failing to find Jackson, Jinyoung decided to wait by the bar for Jaebeom. Jinyoung had been working as Jaebeom’s assistant for a long time but he still hated making small talk at company parties. The man was the type to prefer a night in with a good book over club nights. Jinyoung had just finished his drink when he heard a voice coming from next to him.

“Mind if I get you a drink, handsome?” The strawberry blonde haired man asked, settling into the bar stool right next to him. Jinyoung couldn’t help but take a moment to admire the stranger. His grey suit perfectly complimented his honey skin, his long legs folded gracefully, elbow resting on a knee.

“Sure, why not? I’ll have a Cosmopolitan,” Jinyoung played along, knowing full well that the drinks were free. The stranger nodded and called the bartender before ordering their respective drinks.

“Kang Younghyun, but everyone calls me Brian,” the stranger offered, glancing at Jinyoung. It suddenly dawned on Jinyoung that the person who just offered him a drink was the new CEO of Kang Industries.

“Park Jinyoung.” 

Brian simply nodded, not asking anything about who he was. He offered Jinyoung his drink when it arrived and they made a bit of random small talk before Jinyoung received a text from Jaebeom asking where he was.

The night was pretty uneventful, Brian gave a short speech while accepting his new role as CEO. He kept making eye contact with Jinyoung throughout the speech for some reason. He wondered if Jaebeom had noticed it but the elder said nothing. Jaebeom dropped Jinyoung back at his apartment at the end of the night, offering him a small wave before speeding away.

***

Monday morning Jaebeom had his first meeting with Brian. Jinyoung didn’t want to admit it but he looked forward to meeting him again. The small interaction with the man had left quite an impression on Jinyoung.

“Park Jinyoung? What a surprise!” Brian said as he walked into the board room for the meeting.

“You know each other?” Jaebeom enquired and before Jinyoung could respond, Brian answered the question.

“We met at my promotion party. He’s quite the gentleman,” Jinyoung glanced at Jaebeom to see something flash in his eyes. It was short but Jinyoung was sure he saw it. Was Jaebeom angry? That didn’t make sense, there was no reason for Jaebeom to be angry. Jinyoung decided to brush it off and instead focused on the negotiations.

Once the meeting was over, Jinyoung escorted Brian out of the building. Just as he was about to get into the car, her turned around to look at Jinyoung.

“Are you free Friday evening?” Jinyoung nodded after thinking for a moment.

“I’ll come pick you up, we’re going for dinner together,” Brain said before handing Jinyoung his business card and getting into his car and driving off. Jinyoung turned the card over to see Brian’s personal phone number scribbled with a little ‘text me’ written on the back.

Jinyoung heard his name being called and looked up to see Jaebeom with an irritated expression on his face standing in front of him. He checked his watch to realise that they were late for another meeting. He slipped the card in his hand into his pocket before sliding into the car next to Jaebeom.

“So you know CEO Kang?” Jaebeom asked, staring out of the window. Jinyoung felt a little unsettled by Jaebeom’s tone, cold and indifferent.

“He offered me a drink at the party, I didn’t know he was the CEO till he introduced himself as Kang Younghyun,” Jinyoung half expected some type of reaction from Jaebeom but the man simply nodded and said nothing more.

Jinyoung texted Brian that night, sending a simple “hey, it’s Jinyoung”. He got a reply almost instantly, Brian sent him a picture of himself buried under a blanket with a “hey” back. They ended up texting for hours, sending cute pictures back and forth. It was almost three in the morning when Jinyoung finally decided to call it a night and fell asleep with a smile on his face thanks to the cute goodnight message accompanied by about a hundred emojis from Brian.

***

Jinyoung woke up to the sound of someone knocking on his door. The man dragged himself out of bed to open it and saw Jaebeom standing there with a worried look on his face.

“You’re never late so I got worried and thought I’d drop by to check on you.” Jaebeom nervously scratched the back of his neck as it finally dawned on Jinyoung that he had overslept and that he was, in fact, late for work.

Jinyoung stepped away from the door to let Jaebeom in with a mumbled apology as he rushed to get ready. Ten minutes later, he stepped out of his bedroom to see Jaebeom lounging on his couch, playing with his phone.

“I’m ready,” Jinyoung announced, making Jaebeom frown. He didn’t say anything as he stepped out of the apartment with Jinyoung and made his way to the car. Jaebeom whispered something to the driver before sliding in.

“Where are we going?” Jinyoung asked when he noticed them driving in the opposite direction from the office. Jaebeom continued staying silent, making Jinyoung feel frustrated. A few minutes later they pulled up in front of Jinyoung’s favourite diner that he visited on his off days.

“I’ve told you enough times that you’re not allowed to come to the office till you’ve had breakfast. I know full well how you forget to take care of yourself when you’re busy,” Jaebeom chastised as they both ordered food.

“I was up late last night, so I ended up waking late, you don’t need to worry so much, hyung. I know how to take care of myself,” Jaebeom looked at him with fake disappointment.

“Park Jinyoung? Staying up late? I’ve never seen you stay up after ten pm in the years that I’ve known you. Also don’t get me started on you not taking care of yourself. You’re the same person who collapsed because you forgot to eat during your final exams,” Jinyoung whined at Jaebeom’s comment.

“I was up talking to a friend. You know I need my sleep to function. Also that incident happened years ago, stop bringing it up every single time.” 

Jaebeom just laughed as Jinyoung pouted, making Jinyoung even grumpier. When they finished eating, Jaebeom paid for both of them, much to Jinyoung’s dismay before heading to the car.

“Jinyoungie, are you free on Friday evening?” Jaebeom asked when Jinyoung came by his office later that day to give the elder some papers.

“Why do you ask hyung?”

“Investors dinner. You don’t have to come if you’re busy though, I just wanted to let you know if you’re free.”

“I’m sorry hyung but I have plans. I can cancel if you need me to come, though.”

“Absolutely not. You need to live your life, Nyoung. You’ve not dated in what, four years? It’s just to make the investors happy, I’ll survive on my own,” Jaebeom said with an air of finality. Jinyoung still felt bad that he couldn’t attend the dinner, but he also didn’t want to bail on Brian.

“I can hear you overthinking from here Jinyoung. Don’t worry about me, go enjoy yourself. You can leave early on Friday if you want, we only have one meeting in the morning,” Jinyoung nodded and thanked his boss before leaving his office.

He texted Brian as he sat down at his desk, letting him know that he’d be off early on Friday. Brian responded by letting him know that he’d pick Jinyoung up from his house at six thirty on Friday. Jinyoung immediately texted Bambam to drop by his house on the day of the date to help him get ready.

***

Friday rolled around and Jinyoung reached home at five, which was later than he had wanted so he texted Bambam before hopping into the shower. Just as Jinyoung stepped out, Bambam knocked on the door and Jinyoung let the younger in.

“Hyung you really need to go shopping, I only see dress shirts, pants and blazers here. Don’t you have anything dressy in your closet?” Bambam whined as he sifted through Jinyoung’s closet.

“Check the other cupboard, I think I still have some stuff left from college.” 

Bambam moved to the smaller cupboard on the other side of Jinyoung’s room in his quest for the perfect outfit.

Since Jinyoung started working while he was still in college, he had adapted his closet and general dressing style to be more formal considering he didn’t have enough money to be able to afford both office wear and casual attire for college. Jinyoung had splurged a bit on a few clothes when he was still clubbing in his college days before Offshore and Jaebeom took up all his time.

“Jackpot!” Bambam shouted as he pulled out a pair of skinny jeans, a turtle neck and a leather jacket from the cupboard. They were all in black, classic for the minimalist that was Park Jinyoung. Bambam had him borrow the two inch heeled boots that he had been sporting in exchange for a pair of Jinyoung’s fluffy slippers for the night. A bit of light make up and an unnecessary amount of hairspray later, Jinyoung was officially ready and Bambam couldn’t be prouder of himself.

Jinyoung looked at himself in the mirror and was taken aback. He was so used to seeing himself in office wear that the look made him feel both off and confident because he knew he looked good. The black contrasted his pale skin perfectly, while the light and dewy makeup gave him an ethereal look. Jinyoung was busy checking out his ass in the mirror when he heard a knock on the door.

“Go get him, tiger,” Bambam joked, following the elder to the door. Brian stood there, dressed in white pants, a deep green shirt tucked in, strawberry blonde hair styled up. Jinyoung couldn’t help but stare at how good he looked. He wasn’t the only one though as he caught Brian eyeing him the same way.

“Shall we go?” Brian asked and Jinyoung nodded, bidding Bambam goodbye. Both of them made their way down to Brian’s car, a sleek sports car that exuded wealth without looking too flashy. Brian opened the door for Jinyoung before climbing into the car himself and helping Jinyoung put his seatbelt on. The younger couldn’t help but blush at the warm breath hitting his neck as Brian pulled the strap over his shoulder. Instead of making any move though, Brian simply smiled at Jinyoung before turning to start the car.

The restaurant looked extremely fancy, Jinyoung recognised it as one of Seoul’s most famous, having planned a company event at the venue. Brian held his hand out for Jinyoung to hold, walking him inside the building. The elder had already reserved them a table overlooking the brightly lit skyline of Seoul. They were making their way to the table when Brian saw a couple of his colleagues at a table nearby and asked Jinyoung to accompany him for a minute to meet them.

“Hey guys, having fun without me?” Jinyoung’s eyes scanned across the people in front of him and he recognised them as investors of Offshore. The brunette’s eyes widened as they fell on Jaebeom sitting right across from where he was standing.

“Jinyoung?” Jaebeom blurted out, questioningly. Jinyoung realised that he had never actually told the elder that he was going out with one of his biggest partners and rivals. Though the Kang’s and Offshore worked together every now and then, they were still each other’s biggest competitors.

“Lim Jaebeom, we meet yet again. Anyways, I promised Jinyoung dinner so we should get going. I’ll see you guy’s later.” Brian led Jinyoung towards their table but Jaebeom and the younger’s eyes held for just a moment, Jinyoung suddenly feeling guilty for some reason. He wondered if his boss would be mad at him for going out with his rival. He quickly diverted that train of thought with reasoning that he had the right to date whoever he wanted, regardless of whether they were or weren’t related to Jaebeom.

Dinner was a lot of fun, much to Jinyoung’s delight. Brian was witty, making the younger laugh out loud multiple times. Out of habit, Jinyoung held his hand up to cover his hand as he laughed, but Brian reached over and grabbed his wrist to pull it away.

“You have a beautiful smile, don’t hide it,” Brian chided playfully. After splitting one bottle of unnecessarily expensive red wine and some peach cobbler for dessert, both of them were ready to leave. Brian excused himself to the washroom for a moment and Jinyoung sat alone at the table. He let his eyes wander and almost immediately he met eyes with Jaebeom yet again.

The expression on his face was indescribable, one the Jinyoung had seen only a few times in the years he knew Jaebeom. It sent chills down Jinyoung’s spine, making him feel vulnerable and exposed with just the way the elder looked at him. It caused some old memories and feelings to resurface which Jinyoung immediately buried by looking away from Jaebeom and shifting his attention to Brian, who had by then returned. The elder motioned for Jinyoung’s hand and held it once more, guiding him out of the restaurant.

The drive back to Jinyoung’s apartment was quiet, though not awkward. Brian turned up the radio to fill the silence. Jinyoung wanted to say something but every time he went to, Jaebeom’s expression flashed in his mind. He didn’t know why he felt so guilty, he was just on a date with a guy he met at a party they attended. When they reached under Jinyoung’s building, the younger unbuckled his seat belt and turned to Brian. The older just smiled sweetly at Jinyoung, making him feel a little bit better as he smiled back.

Jinyoung was about to turn away to open the door when Brian leaned in. Instead of kissing him on the lips though, Brian grabbed a hold of his jaw and turned it away to place a soft peck on the brunette’s cheek. The older ruffled Jinyoung’s hair for good measure before whispering a soft goodbye. Jinyoung waved at him as he drove away and went up to his apartment.

Bambam had fallen asleep in Jinyoung’s guest bedroom by the time he got home. The younger often stayed at Jinyoung’s house, Bambam got scared of things sometimes and found comfort in the elder. Jinyoung changed into pyjamas and cleared up the take out boxes the younger had left behind before heading to bed.

Jinyoung was absolutely exhausted, the deal with the Kangs had been keeping him up late at night as he read through contracts, contacted lawyers and briefed Jaebeom. Dinner with Brian was a good break but seeing his best friend there threw him off. Jaebeom’s expression was the only thing he saw when he closed his eyes.

Jinyoung’s heart ached as he thought of his hyung. He looked almost like he was hurting but it made no sense why the older would feel like that. It reminded Jinyoung of a memory he had been trying to bury for years. One that he never wanted to think about ever again but he couldn’t help but indulge in it as it resurfaced.

Park Jinyoung was 19 when he met twenty two year old Lim Jaebeom. Both of them were young, trying to find their way in a newly opened world to them. Jinyoung will never forget the job interview he gave to join Offshore. He had seen a flyer at his college advertising vacancies in the company and one of Jinyoung’s juniors, Youngjae had told him that Offshore was owned by his older brother’s batch mate, college bad boy, extraordinaire Lim Jaebeom.

Jinyoung hadn’t originally planned to apply for Offshore but fate brought him to the dingy basement of an old office building with his CV in hand. The small space had about ten people crammed inside it, one of them Jinyoung recognised as Youngjae’s older brother. Some of the people were sitting on the floor, working on ancient looking laptops as papers flew around. Jinyoung was greeted by a messy haired Jaebeom whose tie was crooked and smile was sheepish.

Jaebeom absolutely grilled Jinyoung during his interview which was impressive for the owner of such a small business. After an hour of them going back and forth, Jaebeom leaned back against the old plastic chair he was sitting on and rubbed his eyes, mumbling a little ‘you’re hired’.

Over the course of the next two years, Jinyoung became well acquainted with what he called the ‘World of Lim Jaebeom’. It was clear from the very beginning that Jaebeom had big dreams and he was determined to fulfil them. The first time they launched a product line or website or some other project successfully, Jaebeom would always smile softly and congratulate all the employees before retreating to his office. Jinyoung always wondered why the elder did that and later found out that every time they succeeded, Jaebeom used that as an opportunity to plan the next three steps, never basking in the glory for more than a few minutes.

Jinyoung was the only one over the years who was allowed into Jaebeom’s private life. The elder had always been reserved, a man of few words. He was the only one, other than Jackson, who knew Jaebeom’s parents personally, the only one who knew about his love for RnB music and cheesy, romantic movies. Jinyoung had become a constant in Jaebeom’s life and vice versa.

At some point Jinyoung had realised he had started liking his hyung more than just as a friend. It was like having high school crush, Jinyoung looked forward to every moment he spent with the elder and thought about him at random moments throughout the day, becoming hyper aware if his boss was ever a little too close to him.

Jinyoung knew that Jaebeom had only ever been with women before but the man had never said anything against dating men. When Jinyoung came out as gay to Jaebeom, he had been supportive and encouraging, telling Jinyoung that he didn’t need to be afraid of his sexuality. The two men had even talked about finding other men attractive a few times.

The chances of the Lim Jaebeom ever liking Jinyoung were close to none, Jinyoung was well aware of that. But there were certain things that his hyung did that always made him question if he did feel something for his assistant. Like the caramel macchiato that sat on his desk the days he ended up falling asleep in the office. Like Jaebeom venting to Jinyoung about his family and crying himself to sleep, wrapped warmly in Jinyoung’s embrace. Like cuddling after long days at work on Jaebeom’s couch, watching Titanic for the millionth time, Jaebeom nuzzling his face in the crook of Jinyoung’s neck.

The time the actions started though was the most memorable to Jinyoung. Offshore was doing better than ever and they had just closed their biggest deal till that point. Jinyoung was busy contacting the lawyers about the next contract as per Jaebeom’s request when the elder burst out of his office, telling Jinyoung to accompany him for a last minute lunch meeting.

Jaebeom and Jinyoung drove in the former’s newly bought car to a restaurant, specifically Jinyoung’s favourite restaurant that the younger visited on special occasions since he was still not earning enough to afford meals their often. They settled down and the waitress asked for their order and Jinyoung was just about to tell her that they were waiting for someone, but Jaebeom interjected and ordered for both of them, knowing Jinyoung’s order by heart.

“What about the client?” Jinyoung asked and Jaebeom smirked.

“He’s already here.” 

Jinyoung looked around the restaurant but found no one who he recognised as one of their clients.

“He’s sitting right in front of me.” 

Jinyoung raised an eyebrow at the elder’s comment, confused.

“I know how hard you worked on this deal and just wanted to treat you as thank you. I knew you would say no if I told you why we were coming here,” Jaebeom said, scratching the back of his neck nervously, almost as if he was scared about how Jinyoung would react.

“You know you don’t need to thank me, hyung, it’s my job. But anyways, now that we are here, why not enjoy ourselves?” Jinyoung asked and instantly saw the nervousness of Jaebeom’s face melt into a small smile. The two men enjoyed their lunch, talking about anything and everything. That day was the day that Jinyoung and Jaebeom became best friends on top of being coworkers and the seeds of Jinyoung’s crush on the elder were sown.

Jinyoung tried not to think too much about the elder’s actions but one incident made him almost sure that Jaebeom was at least physically attracted to Jinyoung. The two men had gone out for drinks at a local bar three years into them working together, wanting to take a break from the hectic routine at work. Jaebeom had dragged Jinyoung to the dance floor, both men considerably drunk. Jaebeom gripped at Jinyoung’s waist, pulling his waist against the elder’s chest and the two men grinded against each other. When the song slowed down though, Jinyoung turned around and threw his hands around Jaebeom’s neck and stared up at him. Jaebeom leaned down, warm breath dusting Jinyoung’s lips.

Jinyoung could see the lust pooling in Jaebeom’s eyes as he ghosted over the younger’s lips. And just as they were about to kiss, someone bumped into Jinyoung, spilling his drink all over the brunette. Jaebeom ended up almost punching the guy and Jinyoung had to drag his boss out of the club to stop a fight from breaking out. He hailed a taxi and helped Jaebeom inside. By the time the taxi reached Jaebeom’s apartment, the elder was fast asleep so the younger had the driver drive them to Jinyoung’s house.

With a lot of effort, Jinyoung was able to drag Jaebeom into his apartment. He laid the elder on his bed and went to sleep on the couch. When the younger woke up, Jaebeom was nowhere in sight but a caramel macchiato, a sandwich and a small ‘thank you’ note sat on his coffee table.

But everything changed the night Jaebeom invited Jinyoung to his parent’s home for dinner. Jaebeom told him that his mother wanted to meet her son’s assistant cum best friend. Jinyoung was nervous but he agreed. The brunette was buying flowers for Jaebeom’s mom when the florist, Yedam, came up to him asking if he needed any help.

“I’m going to meet my boss’s mom for the first time” He explained and the florist picked out a bouquet for him. Jinyoung knew him from the time he had moved into the neighbourhood. Jinyoung loved flowers so he went their quite often.

“So, you found anyone?” Yedam asked as he wrapped the flowers, the man knew well about Jinyoung’s love life, or the lack of it.

“Not yet, but there is one guy who I’ve got my eyes on. He’s completely out of my league though.” Jinyoung sighed, but before Yedam could reply, he heard a gasp from behind him. A woman in her mid-fifties who was standing behind him, probably waiting to get some flowers wrapped, dropped the bouquet in her hands. Jinyoung turned to ask her if she was okay but she pushed him away from her, making Jinyoung fall to the floor.

“Don’t touch me, faggot,” she spit out. Jinyoung was taken aback at her comment, but he wasn’t surprised. He lived in a country that just didn’t accept people like him, it was a well-known fact. He was just so used to having supportive friends that he had forgotten what it was like to be cursed at for being gay.

Jinyoung stepped aside and allowed Yedam to help the woman with her flowers. He tried to apologise to Jinyoung for the woman’s actions but Jinyoung immediately cut him off, telling him that it wasn’t his fault. Jinyoung just took the bouquet from Yedam and paid for it before heading to his car. The drive to Jaebeom’s parents’ house was short but Jinyoung felt uneasy the entire time. The brunette put it off as a mix of emotions from the woman cursing at him and the nervousness to meet Jaebeom’s parents.

Jinyoung stood outside the door for a while before he was able to muster enough courage to ring the bell. He nervously tapped his foot as he heard the door unlock from the inside. A smiling Jaebeom greeted Jinyoung, motioning him to go inside the house. The elder was dressed in a plain black button up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and black slacks.

“How do you always manage to look so smart in simple clothes?” Jaebeom commented with a groan. Jinyoung was clad in a simple white t-shirt with beige pants, horn rimmed glasses and sandals. The elder had always been jealous of Jinyoung’s fashion sense, using every opportunity possible to complain.

“You don’t look too shabby yourself, hyung,” Jinyoung said with a wink. As the two men spoke, Jaebeom’s mother stepped out of the kitchen, heading to the living room to meet her son’s assistant, she saw Jinyoung winking at him.

“You? What are you doing in my house?” Jaebeom’s mother shouted, glaring at Jinyoung. The brunette was taken aback as he realised that Jaebeom’s mother was the lady he met at the flower shop.

“Mom, you know Jinyoung? What’s going on here?” Jaebeom asked, confused by the angry and terrified expression on his mom’s and best friend’s faces respectively.

“How dare you let a faggot into our house, Lim Jaebeom? Get this scum out of here, now!” She shouted, turning her attention to Jaebeom. The elder was surprised at his mother’s behaviour, she was always known for her sweet nature and quiet demeanour.

“What are you talking about, Mom?” Jinyoung didn’t know whether to apologise to Jaebeom and leave or just run away so he just stood there, frozen in his place.

“I heard him talk to that Yedam kid at the flower shop today about liking a man. A man, Jaebeom! And now, not only is this pest in my home, he was winking at you! I’m sure he was trying to seduce you to corrupt my son. Throw him out of here, fire him for all I care! I will never allow a faggot to step foot in my house.” 

Jaebeom’s face turned red as he processed what his mother was saying. Daring to take a peek at Jinyoung’s devastated face, Jaebeom felt beyond guilty.

“What’s going on here? What’s with all the ruckus?” Jaebeom’s father asked as he stepped out of the kitchen, confused about all the noise coming from the living room.

“Jaebeom here brought a faggot into our house, that’s what’s wrong. Doesn’t even have the courtesy to leave when it’s clear that he’s not welcome here,” she said, pointing at Jinyoung, making him snap out of his daze. Just as Jinyoung was about to apologise and leave, Jaebeom cut him off.

“That’s enough Mom. Jinyoung here is my assistant and best friend. So what if he’s gay? You know well that I’m straight so why does it matter if he’s friendly with me? He’s the most hard-working employee in my company and you will not speak to him like that,” Jaebeom snapped, making both his mom and Jinyoung gasp. Jaebeom’s mother, angry at her son, stormed out of the room.

“Jaebeom, I get that you’re hurt by what your mother said but you will not disrespect her either. Jinyoung, I’m so sorry about what she said to you. She’s always been who believed in old traditions and morals. There’s nothing wrong with you being gay, rather I want you know that I for one will always support you, because you’re Jaebeom’s best friend and Jaebeom’s friends are like my own children to me. Jaebeom, take Jinyoung out for dinner tonight will you? Take him to his favourite restaurant and treat him to his favourite food, as a sorry and a thank you from all of us,” Jaebeom’s father said, looking at Jaebeom and Jinyoung.

The younger had tears in his eyes at the words of the old man, and he tried his best to keep them in. But when Jaebeom’s father opened his arms, Jinyoung couldn’t help but hug the man tightly, slowly crying onto his shoulder, whispering small ‘thank you’s. The man just chuckled and patted the brunette’s head before letting him go and waving him goodbye.

Dinner that night was a quiet affair, Jaebeom apologising multiple times but Jinyoung cutting him off every time, telling him that what happened was not his fault. The bouquet that Jinyoung bought for Jaebeom’s mom lay forgotten in the back seat of Jinyoung’s car, a reminder of the incidents that happened at Jaebeom’s parent’s house. Jinyoung had learned three important things that night. One that Jaebeom’s mother would never like him, two that Jaebeom’s father was one of the nicest men Jinyoung had ever met and three, most important of all, that Jaebeom was straight.

***

Jinyoung didn’t sleep well that night. Even his dreams were plagued with Jaebeom, the look on his face crystal clear as he looked at Jinyoung from across the restaurant. The only difference was that it was only the two of them in the room in his dreams and it felt like Jaebeom was staring directly into Jinyoung’s soul, seeing the feelings that Jinyoung knew well that he still had but spent his days denying.

Bambam dragged Jinyoung out to Mark’s café for breakfast. Fortunately they were the only people in at the time so Mark joined them for their meal. Bambam chatted excitedly about Yugyeom getting accepted into Team Wang as a trainee. Yugyeom had texted Jinyoung the good news himself that morning and Jinyoung sent him a short ‘congratulations, now go make some money of your own so that you’re not living off of your boyfriend’s earnings’.

Just as they were finishing up breakfast, Bambam got a call from his mom so he left early, leaving Jinyoung and Mark together. Jinyoung helped Mark clear up the table, ignoring the elder’s protests and ordered a caramel macchiato. Just as Jinyoung paid for his drink, a couple came into the café. Mark turned to attend to them while Jinyoung sat at his favourite seat next to a large window overlooking the street outside and watched as people walked past the café.

Jinyoung was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t realise that the couple had left till Mark sat down in front of him, now free. The elder observed Jinyoung for a few moments, eyebrows furrowed. The younger looked back at him with a confused expression, lifting one brow.

“What happened, Nyoungie?” Jinyoung should have seen the question coming, he thought. Mark was well known to be the most observant of all his friends, being the first one to know if anything was wrong. Jinyoung thought about it for a second, whether to tell his hyung what was going through his head or not. In the end he decided to open up to Mark in hopes of some insight.

“Maybe you’re just overthinking things, Jinyoung. The best thing to do is just talk about it. Communicate with him instead of making assumptions and hurting yourself” Jinyoung just nodded, knowing that Mark was right. Jinyoung stayed at the café till lunchtime, wished Mark goodbye and headed home. Fortunately Jinyoung had leftovers in his fridge because he was in no mood to cook.

The brunette spent the entire day lounging in bed and on the couch, watching trash TV and making a few work calls. He had just finished taking a shower when he got two notifications at the same time on his phone, one from Brian and the other from Jaebeom. As much as Jinyoung wanted to talk to his best friend, he still wasn’t ready to talk to him after the previous night so he unlocked his phone and opened Brian’s chat where the older had sent him a simple ‘hey’.

Jinyoung ended up texting about the most mundane things with Brian but he somehow made it feel like they were talking about the most fun things in the whole world. Halfway through the conversation Jinyoung’s phone started ringing, showing that Brian was calling him. Jinyoung rolled over on his bed, lying on his stomach and picked up the call.

“What’re you up to?” Brian asked after exchanging the normal pleasantries.

“Just hopped out of the shower when you texted me.”

“Oh my lord are you dressed? Jinyoung, don’t tell me you’re trying to seduce me.” Jinyoung involuntarily tightened his hand against the top of his bathrobe. The brunette was dressed in only his boxers and the aforementioned robe.

“Shut up, I just need to throw on a t-shirt, you perv.”

“Do you have to?” 

Jinyoung keened at Brian’s flirty comment. The younger leaned back against the headboard, hand still gripping the robe.

“Are you trying to seduce me right now?” Jinyoung shot back. Just as Brian was about to say something, Jinyoung’s phone started vibrating. He pulled it away from his ear to see an incoming call from Jaebeom. That made Jinyoung sit up and stare at his phone. Jaebeom rarely called Jinyoung’s spare number unless it was absolutely necessary.

“Hey Brian, I have an urgent call that I have to pick up. I’ll text you later.” Jinyoung told Brian who replied with ‘that’s alright, good night, Jinyoung’. Jinyoung cut the call with Brian and picked up Jaebeom’s call. Jaebeom was saying something, but Jinyoung couldn’t hear anything clearly due to loud noises in the background.

“Jinyoungie, Jinyoungie” Jaebeom kept repeating the younger’s name, his speech slurred and voice giggly. Jinyoung realised that the elder was most probably drunk, causing him to act like that.

“Hyung, where are you?”

“At a bar, it’s really loud. The music is pretty cool though. I want another drink but the bartender won’t give me more and that made me sad so I called Nyoungie because Nyoungie makes Beommie happy.” Jinyoung tried to think of where his hyung might be. According to what he said he was pretty drunk and Jinyoung had to bring him back.

It suddenly clicked to Jinyoung that Jaebeom mentioned music. The elder hated music at normal clubs so he had found a small jazz bar in Seoul where he went when he really needed a drink to unwind.

“Hyungie, hang in there for me, will you? I’ll come and pick you up. Just wait for me.” Jinyoung said into the phone, throwing his jacket on and grabbing his keys. Jinyoung tried not to think about the comment the elder made about the brunette making him happy as the liquor talking as he drove to the bar.

Jinyoung spotted Jaebeom the moment he stepped into the club. The elder sat slumped over the bar top, chatting with the bartender. The club fortunately was small and exclusive, meaning the public wouldn’t find out about multi-millionaire Lim Jaebeom getting wasted and whining like a child. The bartender smiled at him as he approached Jaebeom, relieved that someone had finally come to pick the man up.

“Hyung, I’m here, let’s get you home.” Jinyoung shook Jaebeom’s shoulder, causing the elder to stir and sit up straight on the bar stool. Jinyoung cursed internally at how incredible his boss looked, dressed in dress pants, a plain white tee and a black blazer. His hair was mused due to him running his hand through it one too many times, a habit of his that he did when he was stressed.

“Jinyoungie came for Beommie!” Jinyoung tried not to act too surprised at how his boss was acting. The brunette had known Jaebeom for years and had gone out for drinks numerous times with him but not once had his cold-eyed, sharp-jawed hyung ever act like a pouty child. All Jinyoung wanted to do was to coo at Jaebeom and kiss his pouty lips but he instead concentrated on dragging the elder to his car and buckling him into the passenger seat.

“Hyung are you okay?” Jinyoung asked, glancing at his hyung who was slumped in his seat, eyes glossy as Jinyoung drove them home. Jaebeom just pouted more and fiddled unconsciously with the seat belt. Jinyoung waited for a couple of minutes for an answer but when he received none he turned to see Jaebeom sleeping. Reaching over, Jinyoung adjusted Jaebeom’s head to make sure his neck wasn’t hurting before turning back to the road.

After a bit of struggle to get Jaebeom out of the car and into Jinyoung’s apartment, he laid the elder down on the bed and took off his shoes. Jinyoung pulled the blanket over Jaebeom when he felt a hand grab his elbow. He turned to see Jaebeom’s eyes half open as he stuck out his hand from under the blanket to hold onto Jinyoung.

“Don’t leave Beommie. Nyoungie can’t leave Beommie,” The elder whined, pulling Jinyoung towards himself. Even though he didn’t put a lot of force, Jinyoung tripped on the carpet and fell right on top of Jaebeom. Their chests pressed up against each other as Jinyoung stared at Jaebeom with wide eyes. The elder wrapped his hand around Jinyoung’s waist and pecked his nose before dozing off.

Jinyoung’s body froze up as he felt the warmth of Jaebeom’s lips on his nose. He tried to move out of Jaebeom’s grip but Jaebeom just clutched him harder. The brunette had to resolve to kicking his shoes off and slowly squirm his way out. After almost fifteen minutes of struggling to loosen Jaebeom’s arm around him, Jinyoung gave up, turning his cheek to put some distance between their faces. Nuzzling his nose in Jaebeom’s neck instead, Jinyoung inhaled the scent that he always associated with Jaebeom, a strong mix of musk and citrus. Despite the adrenaline in Jinyoung’s body, it didn’t take long for the man to fall asleep in Jaebeom’s embrace.

***

Morning light filtered through the soft white curtains in Jinyoung’s room, causing the brunette to stir. He opened his eyes to see a head of raven hair and the peaceful face of Jinyoung’s boss. Still stuck in the haze of sleep, Jinyoung smiled softly as he small the tranquil expression on Jaebeom’s face. Without thinking, he lifted one of his hands to brush the man’s hair away from his face. Jinyoung felt a strong, warm hand in the small of his back pull him close to the elder and he nuzzled his face in the crook of Jinyoung’s shoulder.

Jaebeom slowly came to his senses as he felt the warm body against him. He tried to figure who he was hugging, but couldn’t remember anything past going to the club for a drink. Jaebeom pulled away from Jinyoung and looked up at him. Their eyes met for a moment and the realisation finally hit both of them as the scooted away from each other instantly.

“Jinyoung?” Jaebeom looked around and realised that he wasn’t in his own apartment and was, in fact, in Jinyoung’s bedroom. The younger had a mortified expression on his face as he tried to collect himself to reply to the elder.

“You called me from the club last night, hyung. You were wasted and so I brought you home. I was about to leave you here to sleep on your own but you very adamantly made me sleep with you.” 

Both the men felt their ears turn red and blushes spread on their cheeks as they took in the words Jinyoung said. Though well aware that it didn’t have any sexual connotations they couldn’t help that their minds wandered.

An awkward silence had settled between them, which Jinyoung hated, because before they visited Jaebeom’s mom, the two were used to cuddling and sleeping in the same bed together. After the dinner, the elder kept their relationship just about the same but the skinship had stopped abruptly.

It felt like the silence was choking Jinyoung, tightening its grip around Jinyoung’s throat. Instead of letting it get worse, Jinyoung excused himself to the bathroom, wanting to take a cold shower to clear his head. He lost track of how long he spent under the harsh spray of freezing water but by the time he was out, Jaebeom was gone.

Stepping into the kitchen to grab something to eat, Jinyoung noticed a full English breakfast, warm and ready on the counter. Jinyoung checked his phone to see a text from the elder apologising for troubling him and thanking him for the help. Jaebeom knew well that Jinyoung’s guilty pleasure was treating himself to the exorbitant foreign meal in front of him and it warmed Jinyoung’s heart, despite the awkward moments between the two not minutes prior.

Jinyoung remembered to text Brian in the morning, not wanting to spend the entire day stuck in his own head. He went out on a limb and invited the older over for dinner, which the latter happily accepted. The brunette spent the next few hours cleaning up his house and preparing snacks. Jinyoung wasn’t the best cook in the world so he ordered some food while waiting for Brian.

The bell rang at exactly six thirty as Jinyoung was fixing his hair in the mirror. The brunette was greeted with a warm smile, a bouquet of pale pink peonies and a bottle of red wine. Jinyoung felt his cheeks heat up at the elder's sweet gesture.

"Make yourself comfortable, I'll get glasses for the wine." Jinyoung stepped aside and let Brian inside, walking to find a vase for the flowers. He joined the elder on the couch with two wine glasses and Brian poured the deep red liquid for both of them.

They chatted for an hour, talking about everything from work to their childhoods and everything in between. Words flowed between the two as they slowly polished off the bottle. They had gotten so comfortable on the couch that Jinyoung got the food from the dining table to the tea table in the living room for them to recline together and eat.

"So, everything fine from yesterday? You sounded pretty worried." Brian asked.

"A friend got pretty drunk and called me to bring them home. They're fine, just a bit stressed with work," Jinyoung explained. He didn't feel like mentioning that it was Jaebeom for some reason so left him out of the details.

"It's good that they're fine, but they interrupted something didn't they?" Jinyoung almost choked on his wine as Brian eyed him suggestively.

"You were trying to seduce me before we got cockblocked, weren't you?" Jinyoung quipped back. If Brian could be flirty, so could he.

"I was, wasn't I? So tell me, do you want to be seduced?" Brian raised Jinyoung's chin, whispering the words in his ear.

"What if I already am?" Brian just chuckled at Jinyoung's response, pulling him in to kiss him. Just as their lips were about to touch, both of them jumped as the doorbell rang loudly.

After a moment of awkwardly staring at each other and laughing it off, Jinyoung got up to actually open the door, though he had no idea who could be on the other side of the door.

"Hyung?" Jinyoung asked, confused. Lo and behold, the Lim Jaebeom was standing outside Jinyoung's house, dressed in sweatpants and a large t-shirt with a photo of Snoop Dogg printed on it, two plastic bags hanging off his left arm.

"I got you your favourite pastry from Mark's cafe and some beer as an apology for last night."

Jinyoung's eyes darted guiltily inside his house, locking with Brian's in a silent apology. The elder just smiled and got off the couch, walking up to the door to leave.

"Is there someone here-Oh Younghyun-ssi, nice to see you again," Jaebeom said as he spotted Brian standing behind Jinyoung. 

He was smiling at Brian, but Jinyoung knew well that it wasn't his real smile, it was instead the one he put on when he was mad but couldn't show it in front of investors.

"The pleasure's all mine, Jaebeom. Jinyoungie and I had just finished eating. It is getting late so excuse me, but I will be taking a leave. Text me when you're free." 

Brian turned to Jinyoung and gave him a side hug and bowed at Jaebeom before leaving.

"Did I interrupt something?" Jaebeom asked belatedly.

"Maybe? Kinda?" It took a moment for the elder to realise what Jinyoung was intending and instantly he looked away, his ears burning red.

"Did you have to imply that I was cockblocking you?" Jaebeom groaned and Jinyoung just chuckled.

"Your words, not mine, hyung" He winked at the elder, snatching the bags from Jaebeom's hand and ushering him inside. The two settled on the couch and ate the sweets, Jaebeom cracking open a beer while Jinyoung passed, already buzzing from the wine.

"So, you and CEO Kang, huh?" Jaebeom asked, turning to see a nervous looking Jinyoung.

"Are you mad?" The question came out almost as a whisper, voice drenched in nervousness

"Why would I be mad Nyoungie? It's your life, Younghyun and I might be rivals but you're still my best friend and it's my duty to cheer you on, not get mad" Jinyoung let out a breath that he didn't even know he was holding. The elder just chuckled and patted Jinyoung's shoulder.

The patting suddenly stopped, causing Jinyoung to look up at his hyung. Jaebeom had a mortified expression on his face, almost as if he had seen a ghost.

"Hyung are you okay?" Jinyoung asked, sounding concerned.

"Did I say something dumb last night on the phone or when you picked me up?"

"Why do you ask, hyung?" Jinyoung didn't mean to let his hyung know that he had, in fact, said more than a few things to Jinyoung in his intoxicated state but his rushed voice gave away the truth, making the elder groan and bury his face in his hands.

"I tend to say dumb things when I'm drunk while I'm stressed Jinyoungie. Jackson had once recorded me while I was drunk and I kept talking about the things that were stressing me out, things that I didn't realise myself. Though that is not necessarily a bad thing, I tend to sound a bit, how do I put it, 'childish' when I'm drunk," Jaebeom confessed.

"I wouldn't say childish, more like cute." 

Jaebeom glared at Jinyoung's cheeky comment, grabbing him by the back of the neck and tackling him on the couch.

Fighting like that, they ended up with Jinyoung laying on the couch and Jaebeom half straddling the younger, holding his hands above his head in order to render them useless. Jaebeom's face hovered over Jinyoung's their breaths mingling when for the second time that day, they realised what position they were in.

Jaebeom immediately pulled back, allowing Jinyoung to sit up. Both of them took a moment to collect themselves, waiting for the other to break the silence. For once, it was Jaebeom who broke it.

"No but really, what did I say?"

"You mean what Beommie said?" Jinyoung imitated the way the elder spoke the night before, making the elder groan even more.

"You said and I quote, 'Nyoungie makes Beommie happy'. I never thought you could be so cute hyung. Imagine Offshore's Lim Jaebeom, cold, smart, ruthless business man acting like a literal five year old when drunk, I could never." 

Jaebeom punched Jinyoung's arm playfully, to which Jinyoung reacted by hissing and holding on to his arm.

Worried that he hurt his best friend, Jaebeom grabbed the younger's wrist to check his arm, only making him laugh loudly. Jaebeom hit him properly to teach him a lesson, rewarding the ravenette with a pouty Jinyoung.

"Well that is true though, you do make me happy," Jaebeom stated simply making Jinyoung's eyes widen.

"You can't just say things like that so casually, my poor heart. But I agree, you make me happy too, hyung. I love you, and I'll always be grateful for having a friend like you"

For the third time in the previous few days, Jinyoung saw something flash in his eyes. It felt almost like Jaebeom was bitter about something. He just said a simple 'I love you too' back before changing the topic.

Their conversation lasted late into the night and Jinyoung ended up falling asleep with his head on Jaebeom’s shoulder. The elder, noticing that the younger was asleep due to the lack of response to a question he asked, moved to pick Jinyoung up and took him to his bedroom, laying him down on his bed. Just as he was about to leave, he took one last look at the younger’s face, a soft smile adorning his face and leaned down to place a soft kiss on Jinyoung’s forehead.

It was almost as if a switch went off inside Jinyoung as his eyes shot open, staring at the elder who was still leaning over him. Making awkward eye contact for a moment, Jaebeom whispered ‘goodnight’ before leaving the room. It took a few minutes for Jinyoung to process what had happened. His hand shot up to his forehead, rubbing gently over where he had felt the elders’ lips.

It took a while for Jinyoung to fall asleep after that, early morning light peeking through his curtains as he finally fell into restless sleep. He woke up a little after one in the afternoon, groaning at his ringtone that woke him up. The man shuffled to find his phone, picking the call without checking the contact.

“I wanted to let you sleep in today since you slept late last night but Jackson will absolutely kill me if I don’t bring you along for lunch today. I’ll pick you up in about fifteen minutes” Jaebeom cut the call before Jinyoung could even process what he was saying. He took a moment to blink the sleep out of his eyes before he jumped out of bed and hopped into the bathroom for a quick shower, quickly blow drying his hair and throwing on a pair of khaki dress pants with an oversized baby blue sweater and some sandals. Just as Jinyoung grabbed his wallet and house keys, he heard his phone ring, letting him know that Jaebeom was waiting for him downstairs.

The elder greeted him with a smile, leaning on the car’s door, dressed in a powder blue suit and a white shirt with the top few buttons undone, his hair which was longer than usual, framing his face. Seeing Jinyoung approach the car, Jaebeom pulled away to open the door for the younger, letting him get in before closing the door and walking around the car to sit in the driver’s seat. Jinyoung was rather surprised that Jaebeom was driving the car, so used to being driven around by their driver over the years as their empire has grown. The drive to the restaurant was quiet, some random pop song playing in the background when they reached their destination.

“Oh my god you two have finally upgraded to couple outfits. Does this mean Jaebeom hyung finally had the guts to ask Jinyoungie out?” Jackson fake screamed when he was rewarded with a slap to his arm at the comment. Jinyoung looked at Jackson with a perplexed expression, feeling butterflies in his stomach as he processed the implications of the words, while Jaebeom was openly seething at his best friend, before turning to look apologetically at Jinyoung.

Lunch was a torturous affair for Jaebeom as usual, with Jackson constantly making fun of the man, much to Jinyoung’s delight as his laughter filled the room with every new joke or old memory Jackson uttered. There was an almost melancholic smile on the elder’s face, the expression pulling somewhere deep within Jinyoung’s heart. He looked lost in his thoughts, and the Jinyoung felt a strong urge to pull the man into a tight hug and comfort him.

“Hyung” Jinyoung said some twenty minutes later, causing Jaebeom to snap out of his haze. Jackson was getting up to leave, letting them know that he had an urgent meeting to attend before walking away, leaving the two men along at their table. Jaebeom looked at Jinyoung before looking down at his plate, realising that neither of them had touched their food since it had arrived some half an hour prior. Signalling Jinyoung to eat, the two men finish their meals in silence, nothing other than the clatter of cutlery hitting the plate to be heard.

“Hyung,” Jinyoung said once more, his plate closed, back straight, hands folded in his lap. Jaebeom looked up from his food to see the younger’s tensed shoulders and nervous expression and closed his plate, sitting up properly to hum thoughtfully at him. The younger took a moment to look Jaebeom in the eyes, breathing in deeply to calm himself down and collect his thoughts.

“What was Jackson talking about?” Jinyoung could hear Jaebeom’s breath catch in his throat as his eyes widened, the older looked like he’d been caught red handed at some crime. Jaebeom brought his hand up to the back of his neck, rubbing the skin there harshly. After a moment of awkward silence, Jaebeom cleared his throat to address Jinyoung.

“I may or may not have liked you since the day I met you? I get it if it’s super sudden and kinda creepy and also if I’m too old and you don’t like me like that. By the way you totally got your job on your own merit, I don’t want you to think that I hired you because I liked you, and now I’m just rambling and making a fool of myse-,“ Much to Jaebeom’s relief, before he could embarrass himself further, Jinyoung leaned towards Jaebeom, wrapping an arm around his neck, pulling him in for a sweet kiss.

Jaebeom whined as Jinyoung pulled away, chasing the younger’s lips as he moved to sit back in his seat. “I thought you didn’t like me, hyung,” Jinyoung admitted, looking down to where his fingers played with the hem of the table cloth. “I mean there were times when I felt like we had a connection but after what happened with your mom I just, lost hope, I guess.” 

Jaebeom smiled sadly as he recalled the incident with his family and Jinyoung.

“I have known I’m into guys for a long time, Nyoungie. The reason why my mom is so paranoid is that when I was in high school, she found me and my boyfriend at the time cuddling in bed and grounded me for weeks, sending me to the church to see if they could do anything about my ‘degeneracy,’ as much as I tried to lie to her that we were just friends. Church was not great, there are things that happened there that I don’t want to think about but before anything major could happen, my dad realised something was wrong and got me out of there. He sat me down and talked to me in a way mom never had, he told me he loved me regardless of who I loved, but he told me to be careful around my mother and also made me promise to introduce all my future boyfriends to him in exchange of him getting me out of that whole fiasco,” Jaebeom confessed.

“Hyung, I’m so sorry.” 

Jaebeom just shakes his head, smiling at Jinyoung before talking the younger’s hand in his own and placing a soft kiss on the back of it. “I’m sorry for ruining the mood, we can talk about that sometime else. Right now there are more important things to talk about.” 

Jinyoung raised his eyebrow at Jaebeom’s comment. The elder smiled, dropping down to one knee on the floor, Jinyoung continuing to look at him questioningly as he ignored the lingering eyes around them from the other patrons of the restaurant.

“Park Jinyoung, my Jinyoungie, I have known you for many years and liked you, nay, loved you for just as long. Will you be my boyfriend?” Jinyoung giggled as he nodded, paying no mind to the soft applause of the crowd around them, instead pulling Jaebeom up to place a kiss on his lips. “First of all, why you gotta be so cute? Second of all, did you just tell me that you love me, Lim Jaebeom?”

“I’m not cute, I’m sexy and also yes, Park Jinyoung, I love you, a lot.” 

Jinyoung laughed at the elder as he paid for their meal and stepped out to hop into Jaebeom’s car that took them to the office. The whispers around them were audible as Jaebeom laced his fingers with Jinyoung’s as they stepped into the building, a soft blush dusting the younger’s cheeks.

“Hyung,” Jinyoung called out later that day as he stepped into Jaebeom’s office, his tablet in hand. “The news is already out,” Jinyoung sounded nervous as he turned the tablet for Jaebeom to see but the elder paid no attention to it. 

“What news, baby?” 

Jinyoung almost whined at the nickname, glaring at the elder, who smirked, his eyes still glued to the screen though he was completely aware of Jinyoung’s reaction.

“About us dating. Someone at the restaurant took photos of us and it’s already out on most online news sites, it will most likely be in the papers by tomorrow.” 

Jaebeom finally turned to Jinyoung, a knowing smile on his face. “Well then, I’ll draft a statement that you can release tomorrow morning, let the internet speculate for tonight. You can go through it and edit it if required, just in case you feel uncomfortable about anything I say.” 

Jinyoung nodded, turning away to leave the room.

“Jinyoungie?” Jaebeom said, making Jinyoung halt and turn back to his boss. “I love you. Drive back to my place tonight? I can treat you to dinner.” 

Jinyoung smiled, nodding. He knew that he loved Jaebeom, but there was something holding him back from saying it out loud, the words getting stuck in his throat. The sudden conflicted expression that crossed Jinyoung’s face was enough to make Jaebeom understand and he just sent him off with a flying kiss.

The drive to Jaebeom’s place was quiet, Jinyoung cuddled in the elder’s lap as the shared kisses as whispers back and forth. Jaebeom, as promised, cooked dinner for the two of them when they got home, the two eating in a shared silence as Nora and Odd circled around their feet under the table. Jinyoung shooed the elder away to take a shower, taking it upon himself to wash the dishes and put them in their places before heading to Jaebeom’s bedroom.

Jinyoung settled on the bed, the sound of the shower going along the only sound in the room. He looked around the room, reminiscing the times he’d spent there with the elder, the memories of their friendship and companionship flooding his senses. The last time he had been in Jaebeom’s room, he had felt his heart break to pieces, the way the two of them had pulled away from each other, the closeness between them alien, had felt like an arrow piercing through his rib cage, the pain blooming in his chest. 

Jaebeom stepped out of the shower with only a towel wrapped around his waist, water still dripping down his neck as he brushed a hand through his wet hair. The smirk that Jaebeom was very clearly failing to hide showed that the action was on purpose, and Jinyoung could also play along. He looked straight at the elder’s face, eyes challenging, which just made Jaebeom chuckle and head to his closet to find an extra towel to dry his hair and his pyjamas to change into.

Jinyoung stared at the way the muscles in Jaebeom’s back rippled as he pulled on a t shirt over his head, immediately looking away when the elder turned around. Jaebeom didn’t fail to notice the way Jinyoung’s ears went red at almost getting caught but decided to tease the younger about it on a later date. Turning back to search through his armoire, Jaebeom pulled out some clothes and threw them at Jinyoung.

“Wait why do you still have these?” 

The clothes Jaebeom gave him were Jinyoung’s clothes back from when he used to actually spend time with the elder at his house. He didn’t recollect leaving them with Jaebeom because they had become part of his closet so naturally. Jinyoung used to spend so many nights at the elder’s place that he just left one set of home and work clothes in his closet. Jinyoung couldn’t believe it had been nearly two years since that fateful night.

“I realised that after what happened with my mom you wouldn’t be very comfortable staying over but I didn’t have the heart to throw any of it away and part of me wanted to still keep it, knowing that there was a time where you were a part of my life” Jaebeom confessed, making Jinyoung coo at the elder.

“Well, you only gave me a drawer before, this time you’re clearing half your cupboard cause I’m not going anywhere” Jinyoung made grabby hands, making Jaebeom laugh and climb the bed to press a soft kiss to Jinyoung’s lips. Once the younger took a shower and got changed, he slipped under the covers, cuddling close to the elder before being lulled to sleep.

***

The dating announcement received mostly positive responses from the public, Jaebeom holding a press conference to confirm the rumours. Jinyoung did receive some amount of hate, but Jaebeom stood by him through all of it. There were some investors and employees who left due to their ideology clash but it was mostly civil. The country was far from accepting LGBTQ+ people openly but Jaebeom had been too loved by the community to be shunned over it.

Jackson took it upon himself to release a statement immediately after theirs, openly supporting the couple and coming out himself, confessing that it was the strength of his friends that gave him the courage to talk openly about being gay and being proud about it.

The three of them went for dinner together that night, Jackson adamant of celebrating the new it couple of Korea. They decided it was probably best to finish early though, since they were exhausted from the events of the day.

Just as they stepped into Jaebeom’s apartment after dinner, the elder’s phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket to check the contact and his face paled immediately, his hands shaking. Jinyoung rushed to check on his boyfriend, glancing down to see his mother’s face on the phone. He held onto the elder’s shoulders and urged him to look at him, forcing him to take deep breaths before Jaebeom picked up the phone.

“Hello?” Jaebeom’s voice quivered as he spoke, the call on speaker so that Jinyoung could also hear.

“I don’t check the news for one day and you announce that you’re dating that faggot. Didn’t I tell you to fire him years ago! Jaebeom what has he done to you? I should have never let your dad take you out of the church programme!” Jinyoung placed his hand over the elder’s fist as he grinded his knuckles into his thigh, clearly angered.

“Listen to me carefully, Jaebeom. You’re going to fire that boy immediately and tell the public that it was a lie or something” Before Jinyoung could stop Jaebeom from saying something like last time, Jaebeom had already lost his cool.

“Enough is enough mom! I’ve known I’m gay for years but I never told you because I knew you wouldn’t accept it. Do you have any idea what they did to me in the church? Ask dad about it sometime. Had he not gotten me out of there you might have not had a son right now. I love Jinyoung and regardless of what you say I’m not leaving him, not now, not ever. If you can’t accept me like this then so be it,” Jaebeom cut the call, his face red, tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Hyung,” Jinyoung whispered, the sound making the elder collapse into his arms. They laid like that for hours, Jinyoung’s shirt getting drenched with the elder’s tears. It broke his heart, he had been lucky enough to have a supportive family. He didn’t want to be the reason Jaebeom stopped talking to his mother but he also loved his boyfriend.

Just as Jinyoung was about to drag the elder to bed, his phone rang once again, startling them. Jaebeom had half the heart to ignore it, but when he saw his father’s caller id, se instantly sat up, wiping his tears before picking up the call, putting it on speaker and placing it on the coffee table in front of them.

“Jaebeom?” Jinyoung smiled despite himself at the sound of Jaebeom’s father’s voice.

“Dad,” Jaebeom mustered, his voice was audibly broken and he didn’t have the energy to hide it.

“I tried to stop her from calling you, but she waited till I was out of the house. I’m really sorry about everything she said. I love you, my son, and I hope you know that,” The tears rolled down Jaebeom’s cheeks once again as he mumbled an ‘I love you too’ to his father.

“And Jinyoung?” The younger made a startled noise at his name being called out.

“I know you’re listening, I just wanted to apologise to you too, for what Jaebeom’s mother said. I’ve seen how my son looks at you, please take care of him, he makes me worry sometimes. And you two are coming here immediately, didn’t I tell you to introduce me to your boyfriends, Jaebeom?”

“But dad I literally asked him out yesterday! And anyways you’ve already met Nyoungie before,” Jaebeom said.

“You two have already started with the cute nicknames, huh? I briefly met him two years ago Jaebeom. I’m so sorry it took so long for this brat to tell you his feelings, he’s a bit dumb, don’t know where he gets it from” Jaebeom whines at his father’s comments are Jinyoung laughs, thanking the elder before cutting the call.

Jaebeom sighed heavily as he looked up at the younger, his hands wiping at his face to get rid of the tears. There was a comfortable silence between them, both having accepted that their relationship wasn’t going to be easy. It took a while for them to finally get up but they did, eventually moving to the bed to actually get a good night’s rest.

The following week they visited Jaebeom’s parents’ home, both of them buzzing with anxiety. Jaebeom squeezed Jinyoung’s shaking hand firmly, silently reassuring him before ringing the bell. Jaebeom’s father opened the door with a bright smile, ushering both of them inside and giving them warm hugs.

They had just settled down in the drawing room when Jaebeom’s mother came in, her fingers fidgeting and her gaze lowered. Jinyoung immediately stiffened looking at her, the anxiety strongly surging its way up his spine.

“Jaebeom can I talk to you in private for a moment” Her voice was little above a whisper, words strained. The elder turned to Jinyoung, giving him a soft smile before following his mum inside.

“Jinyoung, thank you for loving my son. He has secrets that not a lot of people know about, things he’s gone through that have left him scarred. I had almost thought I lost my son at one point but then you came into his life. I remember the day he hired you, he smiled for the first time for what felt like years. I didn’t think I’d get to see my Jaebeom smile again but I did, thanks to you. He finally opened up to Jackson after meeting you, helping him heal more. You got him out of hell, Jinyoung. I’m not going to put a burden on your shoulders by saying you fixed him or whatever, but you did help my son a lot. Love him for as long as you can, and even if that’s not forever, you’ll always be my son and I’ll always be grateful that Jaebeom and I got the opportunity to get to know you” Jinyoung nodded, using one hand to wipe away his tears as Jaebeom’s father pulled him in for a hug.

Jaebeom returned shortly after with his mom, both of their faces tear stained. Jaebeom’s mother stood in front of Jinyoung, pulling him in for a hug, making the younger surprised. She cried apologies into his shoulder, rambling nonstop as Jinyoung rubbed her back to comfort her. Once she had calmed down, she pulled away, chuckling awkwardly at the scene before pulling him to the dining room for dinner.

Conversation after that flowed easily, the air of awkwardness having been swept away. They had their fill of Jaebeom’s mother’s food, stuffed till bursting. The goodbyes weren’t sad or forced, they genuinely enjoyed their time and Jinyoung hoped that in the future he could spend more time with them.

Days after that flowed by quickly, Jinyoung finally moving in with the elder six months into their relationship with his lease expired. Things were going fine till they weren’t. Jinyoung woke up in the middle of the night once to see Jaebeom’s face twisted in pain, his body covered in sweat. He shook the elder awake, who jumped as he came to his senses.

“Hyung, are you okay?” Jaebeom just nodded, washing his face and drinking some water before cuddling Jinyoung back to sleep, ignoring his protests. This went on for months, Jinyoung waking up at least once a month to the elder screaming in his sleep. Every time he asked about it though, the elder clammed up and his brain shut down, refusing to respond to his questions.

Exasperated and worried he called Jackson who told him to give Jaebeom some more time. He waited for a total of three months before barging into their bedroom one evening and locking the door behind him, trapping the two of them inside of the room.

“Hyung please, just tell me what’s wrong. I know it’s hard to talk about but I can’t bear to see you screaming in your sleep every other night. I don’t want to force you to answer but please, let me in, let me help you” Jaebeom looked scared as he met eyes with Jinyoung, sighing heavily before dragging Jinyoung into bed with him.

“I don’t know where to start Jinyoungie, I want to tell you everything but I feel like if you found out how broken I am you’ll want to leave” Before Jinyoung could protest Jaebeom held one hand up, breathing deeply before starting again, “I told you about church being bad, but never what happened there. They tied us up and threw us into small dark closets, trying to ‘pray the gay away’. We tried to get out but just got caught and the punishments got worse. They tried so many different things I barely remember most of it. I tried to take my life at least three times while I was there but I every time I failed and they called me weak for trying and a coward for not going through with it. I’ve had bad nightmares since I left but it slowly got better till a few months ago” Jinyoung ran his hand through the elder’s hair trying to calm him down.

“I was at in my office when Youngjae came in, saying that someone wanted to meet me. I thought it would a client or something but it turned out to be one of the priests. He said he wanted to check up on me after he heard about us dating. I was about to get him escorted out but he started chanting the prayers that they used to make us say there and my brain just shut down. I couldn’t move, Jinyoung, it was like I was back, trapped in that closet with no food and water, begging to be let out. I felt like I was about to faint when Jackson barged into the room for our scheduled meeting and saw me like that. He had the man leave and sat by me as I cried myself to sleep. I told him everything when I woke up and made him promise to not tell you. I’m broken, Jinyoung, I might look like a strong man but I’m not. I scream in my sleep and cry like a child, I get if you’re not interested in handling my emotional baggage.”

“Hyung, I’m not going anywhere. I love you and I want you to heal. I think the first thing you should do is visit a therapist, you need to get all of these emotions out safely and you need help. I’ll be by your side through it all” Jinyoung reassured the elder, his own eyes wet with tears.

“I was too scared to try but I want to, for us, Jinyoung. I love you so much” Jinyoung felt the words rise up his chest as he looked at the elder bear his scars to him.

“I love you too, hyung” Jaebeom’s face broke into the brightest smile he’d ever seen as Jinyoung spoke those words. It took him a while to say it for the first time but he knew that Jaebeom knew that he loved him regardless of whether he said it or not.

Jaebeom went to therapy soon after, finally opening up about his past completely. The nightmares got better and he eventually testified against the conversion therapy being done in his church, leading to the priests being convicted. Healing wasn’t easy for Jaebeom, he still screamed in his sleep sometimes but Jinyoung was always there by his side, taking care of him, and for them, that was more than enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Tumblr. Any comments and kudos are much appreciated


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